WHAT IS THE QUALITY OF A SRI VAISHNAVAN?

June 17, 2002

Sri Parthasarathi thunai

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

Dear Smt.Jayashree,

Though this question will be well answered by other learned members of the group

let me try to answer your question up to my little knowledge.

When you take a doctor or a lawyer though they wear a black or white coat for

identification they need to be educated correspondingly and should possess the

required knowledge. Though they go to a college to get the book knowledge and

elligibility to practice they have to work under a senior for a year or two

before they actually practice on their own.

Like wise a Srivaishnava has two identifications. Agachinnam(inside qualities)

and purachinnam(outside). No one is a Srivaishnava by birth. we are born as

brahmins,kshetriyas,vaishyas or sudras but anyone can become a Srivaishnava.

Irrespective of caste creed or gender anyone can become a srivaishnava. THis is

what sri ramanuja preached and wanted to establish all through his lifetime. So

the admission to the course is entering a college. Similarly a Srivaishnava

enters the college under a acharya and his identity card is the panchasamskaram

which a acharya does. Now no student on entering the college becomes a engineer

or doctor but he has to learn the subjects and get qualified , pass the exam.

So now the student(Srivaishnava) learns our sampradayam vishayam from his

acharya and there are also so many disciplines that a srivaishnava should

follow. The prinicipal is none other than Emperuman. He tests the srivaishnava

both disciplinary wise and academically and if the student clears then the

emperuman grants him moksha. If the student is good but struggles to attain

knowledge the acharya and the principal takes extra care and makes him to clear

the exam. So this is what we call in our sampradayam acharya kataksham and

bhagavat sankalpam.

Like the uniform in a school or college to give an identity that the student

belongs to that particular institution similarly a srivaishnava should wear the

oordva pundram. A lawyer never hesitates to wear a black coat nor does a doctor

to wear a white one, but wears it with pride, but why should a srivaishnava

hesitate to wear his Thiruman on his forehead? People appreciate modern punks

but they talk ill of the person who has shikai which is our tradition. We

srivaishnavas should realise the importance of all these.

Now let me substantiate my note with one of the words of our beloved acharya Sri

Pillailokacharya in his 'Mumukshupadi'

sutra 116

"purampundAna pattrugalaiadaiya vAsanaiyOde vidugaiyum, emperumAnaiye

tanjamendru pattrugaiyum, pErutappAduendru tunindirukkaiyum, pettrukku

dvarikkaiyum, errukkum nAl ugantirunda nilangalile pravananAi gunAnubhava

kainkaryangalile pozhudupOkkaiyum, eppadi errukum srivaishnavargal ettrum

arindhu vugandhuerrukkaiyum, Thirumandiraththilum dwayaththilum niyadhanAgaiyum,

Acharya premam ganathtirukkaiyum, Acharyan pakkalilum emperuman pakkalilum

kruthagyanAi pOrugaiyum, jnanamum, vairAkhtiyum, shantiyum, oodaiyavanAi

errukkum paramasAtvikanOdE sahavAsam pannugaiyum vaishnavAdikArikku

avashyAbheshitam”

In this sutra Sri Lokacharya clearly explains what all qualities a Srivaishnava

should have.

1. He/she should leave all other wishes along with vasana because if not,

at one time he will come for bhagavat bhakthi and kainkaryam then the worldly

pleasures will again pull him.

2. He/she has to accept emperuman as his soul refuge. He should not

consider anyone else (other devatas or other manushyas) or even himself to be

his refuge. He has to realise that only the emperuman can save him and he alone

is responsible for everything.

3. Be confident that due to acharya and bhagavat krupai we will surely

attain moksha. Alwar says “vaikundam puguvadu mannavar vidhiye” and “maranamAnal

vaikundam tarum perumal” A srivaishnava should have a great confidence in these

words.

4. He/she should realise that all the worldly things are temporary and

that only bhagavat kainkaryam is sasvatam(permanent) so we should have a urge in

our minds to attain the thiruvadi of bhagavan as soon as possible getting away

from this samsaric world.

5. For the days we stay in this leela vibhuti we should stay in

divyadesams, which were the places adorned by our alwars and acharyas and spend

our time listening to the divine bhagavat vishaya kalashepams and doing various

kainkaryams to emperuman.

6. The most important thing a Srivaishnava should do is respect the

Srivaishnava who has all the above qualities. He/she should stay in the

satsangam of such Srivaishnavas.

7. He/she should know the importance of Thirumantram and dwayam and should

recite it along with the thinking of the meaning always

8. He/she should have a strong devotion towards his acharya.

9. He/she should be grateful towards perumal and his acharya who has

imparted the divine knowledge to him and thereby washing his sins have made him

a clear soul.

10. He/she should always stay in the company of a Srivaishnava who is filled

with jnanam(knowledge), vairAkhyam(detachment to anything other than bhagavan

and bhagavat vishayam) and shanthi(peace).

Sri Pillailokacharya says these are the qualities a Srivaishnava should

essentially possess.

Hope this helps. All the errors are due to my lack of knowledge and ignorance.

I beg the pardon the learned members for the same.

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasyai

Sumithra Varadarajan

jasn sn <jayasartn wrote:

SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA

Who is a Sri vaishnavan?

(Hope I am not inviting the wrath of the rs

of this list in asking this question.)

Is it by birth

or by smearing of oorthwa pundram

or by Samashrayan

or by surrendering to the thiruvadi of a vaishnava

achryan

or by following the precepts of Sri Ramanuja

or by being a devotee of Sriman Narayana

or by anything else?

What makes one a true Srivaishnavan?

(I am reminded of the story written long ago by Cho

Ramaswamy of Thuglak, "Enge Brahmanan?' wherein he has

brought out the 'lakshana'of a true Brahnmin )

I am asking this question out of curiosity to know

where we, the women stand. What is that we, the women

must adorn to qualify ourselves as Srivaishanvites,

though by birth we come to belong to the Sri

vaishnavite familty.

Beg your pardon if I have hurt anyone's sentiments.

Kindly clarify.

Regards,

JAYASREE SARNATHAN

[ Please focus answers to this question on philosophical

ideas taken from Vedanta, Divya Prabandham, Bhagavad

Ramanuja's works, or philosophical tracts of later

thinkers. Thanks -- Mani ]

-----------------------------

- SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -

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June 18, 2002

hello members,

shrimathe ramanujaya namah

please refer to the query from our fellow member, i do want to know. please be

kind enough to clear our doubts. i hope i am not offending any one.

shri ramanuja dasan

rajesh

jasn sn <jayasartn wrote: SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA